LICENSING COMMISSION

Greymouth Evening Star, 25 July 1945, Page 6

LICENSING COMMISSION

BREWERY COY.S' HOLDINGS CHRISTCHURCH. July 25. Evidence concerning lhe interests that brewery companies had in licensed hotels in Canterbury was -ivcm 1o the Royal Commission on Licensing to-day. The Crown representative (Mr J. D. Wiilis) told the Commission there were two main companies in the province, ißallin’s Brewery (N.Z.) Ltd., includi ing Ballin Bros., Ltd., appeared to i own fifteen hotels, to be lessees of ' three, and to hold mortgages over isixteen—-a total of thirty-tour, in which the company was interested. , Nc-w Zealand Breweries, Ltd., api peered to own fourteen hotels and to Ibe lessees of five (of which search 1 notes showed that four had been i sub-leased by them), and held mort- ■ gages over 45. Therefore, the two > companies between them appeared to be interested in £}B out oi' 167. Search notes revealed a form of lie that ■ had not been noticed, and it related ■to mortgages and leases. In one ini stance, where a private individual i owned a hotel it was mortgaged to • another private individual, and the ; mortgage covenant provided that the I iale of interest should be reduced if ; beer and certain other articles sold 1 in the hotel wore purchased from the iNew Zealand Breweries. Mr Willis added that these mortI gages had not been executed by New Zealand Breweries Lid. 11 would bo I remembered that in Wellington mention was made of the mortgage Bali lin's Breweries Ltd. had over two hotels in the Chatham Islands. This mortgage contained a provision that i the mortgagors should nay to the ImorWaeee commission of 25 per cent. ' on English ales, stouts, wines, and ' cordials sold, but there was a further provision that jf the beer was purchased from the mortgagee the comI mission would be waived. /After l ciuoting further examples, Mr Willis said lie was not suggesting that there was anything reprehensible in the practice, but search notes revealed that there was a definite tie to particular breweries. I